IndyCar: Can James Davison win the 2019 Indianapolis 500?

By Michael Eubanks | Mar 9, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 28: James Davison of Australia, driver of the #18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda, leads a pack of cars during the 101st Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 28, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

James Davison is set to attempt to qualify for his his fifth Indianapolis 500 this year. Could he be a dark horse pick to win the IndyCar race?

With a career-high finish of 16th place in four career Indianapolis 500 starts and a career-high finish of 15th in six career IndyCar starts, James Davison might not be a name that immediately comes to mind when you think of Indy 500 favorites, but don’t count the 32-year-old Australian out just yet.

After competing in the 2018 Indy 500 for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Davison is set to return to Dale Coyne Racing for this year’s race. In the 2017 Indy 500, he drove the team’s #18 Honda as the replacement for the injured Sebastien Bourdais, and after staring in dead last (33rd place), he led two laps late in the race and was in contention for the victory.

A late wreck took Davison out of contention for the victory in this race, but he proved that an underdog driver can be a contender in the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana with a good car and a good pit strategy.

More from IndyCar

Don’t believe that an underdog can contend for an Indy 500 victory? Just take a look at last year’s Indy 500. In a race that saw pit strategy shake up the running order at the end, Stefan Wilson took the lead on lap 193 before he needed to make a pit stop for fuel with just over four laps remaining.

Sure, Wilson may have been driving for a top-tier team in Andretti Autosport, but he was still classified as an underdog, as he was driving a one-off entry with the team and his start in the race was only the third of his IndyCar career.

It should also be noted that with the exception of a 33rd (last) place finish in the 2018 Indy 500 that resulted from an early crash, Davison has finished ahead of his starting position in every IndyCar races in which he has competed.

Davison has clearly proven that he can navigate his way through the field. Should he qualify closer to the front for this year’s Indy 500, he should have a good chance to record a strong finish.

However, simply making the show should be Davison’s current goal, as the race already has 33 confirmed entries, and more are expected to be added in the near future. After all, he was the 33rd and final driver to lock himself into the field on Bump Day for last year’s race.

Davison might not be a favorite to win this year’s Indy 500, but he could very well find a way to guide his #33 Honda to victory lane, which would be undoubtedly the biggest highlight of his career.

Next. Top 10 Indianapolis 500 drivers of all time. dark

Can James Davison win the biggest race on the IndyCar calendar? Be sure to tune in to NBC for the live broadcast of 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26 at 11:00 a.m. ET.